Newburgh, NY - Stewart Takeover by Port Authority Kicked Off

Newburgh, NY - Stewart International Airport was taken over today by Port Authority officials, who promised to remake the underutilized Hudson Valley airport into a bustling hub for New York City-area travelers.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials hope that Stewart, will relieve the pressure of the three major New York City area airports by luring passengers from the city’s northern suburbs and northern New Jersey.

Authority officials believe Stewart could handle 1.5 million passengers annually, up from about 300,000 last year. That would put a small dent in business for the other three big airports, which handled 103 million passengers last year, but officials say it will ease the pressure. [AP]